Another Way
by Rowanfall
Summary: What if Artemis had picked a different souvenir?
1. Chapter One

**I'm so sorry, I had to write this!**

Another Way

Chapter One

There was no way.

If I surrendered, I was dead. If I hid or ran, theywere dead. If I tried to fight them on my own, we'd_ all_ be dead. There wasn't time to go for help. I was out of arrows, out of ideas, and out of hope. M'gann was dying, I didn't know if Robin was still…

Their faces flashed in my mind:

Wally, Conner, Kaldur, Megan…

Robin.

What if he died and I never knew who he was? What if they all died? They were my family…I'd already lost one, I couldn't handle losing another. Especially not this one, the one that cared for me.

How the heck was I supposed to get traught?

I was so involved in my thoughts I didn't see the drop in front of me and I fell, down, down, into Wally's souvenir room.

_Three minutes._

I sighed. "Who am I kidding? Best I can do is hide. Hope the League finds me before the Reds." I looked up at the shelf. Cheshire's mask was there.

"I know _you _understand," I said to it. Older, more painful memories came back.

"_In this family, it's every girl for herself."_

I picked up the mask, staring at the empty black eyes. "That might have been true about our family. But I've found a new family." My throat began to close up, "and here, we're all for one, and-"

_One minute._

My eyes widened and I hurriedly put her mask back on the shelf. Then, my eyes grew even bigger.

The Helmet of Fate!


	2. Chapter Two

**There's no feeling like this feeling: When someone appreciates your fanfiction stories so much that they add you to their "Favorite Authors" list. So many thanks to everyone who did, you guys almost made me cry (I am so serious, I was THEESE CLOSE)**

**Oh, and please go listen to this soundtrack while you read this-****Epic Mickey Soundtrack - Dark Beauty Castle Battle (please? Especially since I updated so soon?)**

Another Way

Chapter Two

My breathing quickened as I held the helmet over my head; hesitating, afraid. I gritted my teeth in determination. It was time to stop being afraid and get traught. "For my family," I whispered.

The cold metal slid on like a second skin, and dazzling gold-white light flooded my vision. I squeezed my eyes shut against it, bracing for the hurt that never came.

"You?" I heard a familiar voice say.

I-I thought he was dead! "Mr. Nelson?" I blinked open my eyes to see the elderly man in front of me, against an empty background of black-and-blue. A white spotlight shone down on us from nowhere.

"Why did you put it on, spitfire?" he asked, gently, but his eyes were worried.

"My-my Team-" I let out a gasp, my voice cracking. "Please, please, my Team, they're in danger, you have to help them-"

"Don't worry, kiddo. Nabu's already on his way. See?" He pointed toward the horizon, and in a tiny flash of light I was looking through the helmet at the walls of Wally's souvenir room, as if I was there instead of…where-wherever I was right now. My head turned toward the threshold, without my controlling it, and suddenly I was…I was _floating? _I was floating through the hallways toward the hangar as though I was Megan! I was flying!

Then I could see them, the Reds, and I could see Kaldur and Megan lying down in the cage of fire, exhausted and weakened. I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut when I saw the youngest member of the Team. "Robin," I whimpered. My heart leapt to my throat as I looked down at his- I hoped unconscious- form. More than anything I wanted to run to him and make sure he was okay; but I couldn't. My-my mind, I guess- was in another world, and Nabu controlled my body now. Like that made any sense; what good was the Helmet if the user couldn't control its power?

My hands, though they looked nothing like my hands, which were usually covered with green cloth instead of dark blue silk and gold armor, raised up until one palm faced Red's brother and the other palm faced Red's sister.

They stood there, waiting, as if it wasn't worth their energy to fight me just yet; silence echoed throughout the high-ceilinged hangar, excepting the gurgle of water and the flicker of flames, and all of us strained to see what I-Doctor Fate-_Nabu-_would do next. 


	3. Chapter Three

**Yay! Chapter Three!**

"**Cause that's the way things happen**

**On the Polar Express!" (Sorry, I was listening to that while I typed the end)**

Another Way

Chapter Three

I could feel myself tense along with everyone else. Kaldur had blinked open his eyes and I could see the muted shock on his face as he stared at me; his sliver eyes had lost their glory, and they shone with desperation and fear.

Wally and Conner, underwater, stared at me with huge, unblinking eyes.

There had been no other way!

Golden light shone out of my palms, encasing both robots in bright, pale yellow domes. The sister instantly unleashed an inferno of fire in my direction, trying to roast me in my armor, but the flames only bounced back and swirled around her, trapped by the unbreakable spheres. Her brother tried to do the same with water, but the golden light was waterproof as well as fireproof.

My fingers started in claw inwards, as though I was gripping air, and the domes started to collapse in on themselves. The robots didn't stop using their powers; they knew nothing of wits, all they had was logic and their abilities. Eventually, the domes began to crush them.

My hands gripped into two tight fists and the Reds crumbled into shards of metal and wires. The blazing bars trapping Megan and Kaldur dissolved into air and the creeping water receded until Wally and Conner could breathe again.

I'd done it.

I'd beaten the Reds! I'd saved my Team!

I let out a huge breath of relief, realizing that I'd been holding it this whole time.

"Kaldur, how's M'gann?" I heard Superboy yell.

Kaldur struggled to sit up, Megan still blacked out on his chest. "She breathes," he gasped out. "I believe she will recover. What of Robin?" he called out, expecting me to check on him.

I couldn't. I wanted to, so, so badly, but I couldn't.

"Artemis?"

"Hold your tongue, Atlantean," I heard my voice, intertwined with a deeper, firmer masculine voice, respond.

Kaldur's eyes widened, and his mouth formed a small oval.

"Kaldur!" I cried out, hoping that Nabu would let me at least speak. "Kaldur, I can't!"

Nothing came out.

"She put on the helmet?" I heard Wally shout. He actually sounded…worried.

"You lied, boy." Nabu spoke through me again. "You told me you would find a host for me if I released you, but you lied and left me to rot on that shelf. As a…_souvenir._" He spat out the last word as though it was something disgusting. I felt a chill creep up my spine. Where was he going with this?

"Why should I trust you any longer? I've found a new host; resourceful and selfless. Unlike my last one_._ And I will keep her." I felt my eyes narrow.

"Y-You can't do that!" Wally shouted, terrified. His eyes looked like dinner plates with tiny green circles in the center.

"Why can't I?"

I couldn't listen anymore; I dropped back into the black-and-blue world were my mind was, and fell to my knees. Terror and worry shot through my nerves, till I was shivering like a pile of raspberry Jell-O.

What would happen if Nabu kept me trapped here?


	4. Chapter Four

**To Black Licorice Addict: How can you hate raspberries? I love raspberries! I almost never get to eat fresh raspberries…Why don't we pronounce raspberries as rasp-berries? Why is it pronounced razz-berries?**

**Credits to Celadon Catamount for giving me the word "body-jacked."**

Another Way

Chapter Four

I thought I was going to throw up.

I hugged my stomach tightly, trying to calm myself: breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, and breathe out. Stay calm, stay traught.

I felt a warm hand on my back; Mr. Nelson. I looked up at him, terror-stricken. "Please, please, can you talk to him? Please, do something! I can't stay here! I can't become the next Fate! I-I have a life! And a family…a family that needs me."

His face was serious and grim. "I'll try, Sparky. I'll try."

I needed to see what was going on. I turned back to the horizon.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I lied to you! But don't take it out on her; take it out on me. She's got a life, and a school, and probably a family with a mom and dad and some brothers and sisters. You can't just take that all away from her! _Now_ who's the selfish one?" Wally was…being an _advocate_? For _me_?

Wait, wait, wait, wait. No. No way.

_No way_ was I going to let him, or _anyone _for that matter, be "body-jacked" either. There had to be another-

Another way.

"Mr. Nelson? Please, is there any way I can communicate with Nabu?" I returned to the black-and-blue world and faced the elderly man. He opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted.

"What is it you want?" A golden helmet floated not far away from us, its eyeholes glowing. Nabu.

At first, I didn't know what to say. I felt lost. Then it all came tumbling out, like a waterfall. "Please, please let me out! I can't be your host; I have a whole life, and a family and everything! Please don't take that away from me, and don't take it from Wally or anyone else either. There's another way, there's always another way that you can choose instead of doing the wrong thing."

I choked out the last part and realized I was crying.

Silence echoed throughout the black-and-blue world.

"_We have to keep this family from falling apart!"_

I had been the "another way". Cheshire had given up, made the wrong decision; she was an assassin without anyone in the world to care for her. I had stayed; done what I knew was right, and now look at me.

I was a vigilante who thought of her friends before herself.

I had my faith; which Cheshire had given up as well when she left.

And I had a family that was worth more to me than I could ever describe: even Wally.

"Please," I sobbed. "Please, let me go."


	5. Chapter Five

**For all the people who enjoyed the Epic Mickey Track I recommended; go listen to Epic Mickey - Tomorrow City! It doesn't have much to do with this chapter, but it's still my favorite Epic Mickey Track (so creepy and futuristic, even though I usually hate that kind of stuff). Or you could go back to chapter two and start the Dark Beauty Castle Battle Soundtrack and read and listen to that all over again. **

**Did you know I speak Arabic? If anyone ever needs a translator, just P.M. me. Ana mab adhe (I don't bite XD)**

Another Way

Chapter Five

"No."

"What?" My eyes widened as I heard one of the most horrible words in the English language.

"Nabu, you can't do this to her-" Mr. Nelson, beside me, began to argue with him.

"Your time here is done Kent. You no longer have any say in my decisions." In a flash of bright light, Mr. Nelson was gone.

"No, no, no, no, please! Don't do this!" I begged.

Following Mr. Nelson, the helmet dissolved into darkness, ignoring me, leaving me alone in the black-and-blue world.

"This can't be happening, this can't be happening…" My eyes were huge now. There had to be a way out of here, a way to trick him, something anything! Terror threatened to paralyze me.

I started to run, away from the spotlight, towards the horizon. Running, running, running, just to keep myself from freezing in fear like a deer staring at headlights. Then I looked up; I hadn't moved an inch! Despair flooded through me: there was the ever-present spotlight, the only landmark in this empty, empty world. My headlights.

I started to panic.

"Let me out! Let me out!" I screamed, closing my eyes against the stunning, lifeless spotlight. "Let me out!" Falling to the ground, I pounded my fists against the floor, the only tangible solid in here besides myself. I felt my chest squeezing in on itself; as if I couldn't breathe. Then, I realized that I actually _couldn't _breathe; my lungs were starving for oxygen. I rolled over on my back and brought my hands up to my throat, gasping.

I was choking.

Get traught or get dead.

I felt lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. Is this what happened to unwilling hosts? Nabu would strangle off their consciences?

Darkness blurred at the edge of my vision as the world I was stuck in got even dimmer and the last thing I remember were my hands, flailing desperately in the bright spotlight above my head, clawing for air and a way out.

**Oh, dear GOSH, I'm trying to figure out three different plot lines while trying to juggle a one-shot series. I think I know where I'm going with this, but my brain is getting overwhelmed. **

**Robin: "What's that supposed to mean? You still haven't done a fic on me!"**

**Me: "I will someday, jeez chillax.**

**Valiant: "Yeah, at least she didn't ABANDON you for some other fic!"**

**Me: "Don't start up on that again or so help me God-"**

**Wally: "HEY! You labeled "Running Away" as a Romance fic; it's been eight chapters and all I've done is look like a crybaby boyfriend-"**

**Valiant: "You are a crybaby boyfriend."**

**Wally: "At least **_**I**_** exist****in the DC Universe!"**

**Valiant: "SHUT UP!" **

**_ _ _ _ _ _: "Hey guys!"**

**Wally and Valiant: "Who are you?"**

**_ _ _ _ _ _: "Oh, I'm from another fic that Rowanfall's planning for the future."**

**Robin: "Another fic? That better include me!"**


	6. Chapter Six

**I only have one thing to say today:**

**You all know that October is breast cancer month? Well, what a lot of people don't know is that it's also Respect Life month.**

**Abortion is wrong, and cruel. It is the destruction of new lives.**

**If Bruce Timm had been aborted, the DCAU would never have had **_**Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, **_**or **_**Justice League Unlimited. **_

**If Greg Weisman had been aborted, **_**Young Justice**_** would have never existed.**

**If I had been aborted, this story would've never been read.**

**Whenever you support abortion, you are supporting the destruction of new minds, new hearts, and new people. Abortion is destruction. **

**Please pray for all these unborn children this month, and remember to always Respect Life.**

**Thank you. **

Another Way

Chapter Six

"Artemis? Artemis, can you hear me?"

I blinked open my eyes to see Superman standing in front of me. Wait a second-

_I_ saw _Superman_ standing in front of _me_…in the hangar…of the Cave…

"She's all right." He called out, and helped me up off the floor.

"Artemis!" I heard someone yell, and I was tackled by a black, red, and yellow blur. "Robin!" I couldn't contain the joy in my voice. "You're okay!" I hugged him back, relief pouring down my shoulders like cool water.

Then confusion began to cloud in. "Wh-what happened?" I looked around to assess the damage. A weakened M'gann leaned on Kaldur and Conner while Aquaman and Manhunter talked quietly to their protégés. The Sphere stood next to Superboy protectively, occasionally letting out an R2-D2 like beep. Canary, Batman, Green Arrow, and Flash all stood off to the side, as if they were waiting for something.

Wally kneeled on the ground holding-

I shuddered, my eyes widening as I gasped and took a step backward.

Robin put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Turns out Dr. Fate needs air just as much as normal humans."

I turned back to him, my eyebrow cocked, more confused than ever. "What do you mean?"

Wally got up, still holding the helmet_._ "Red Tornado showed up while you were still in here." He gestured toward it. "Somehow, his sister, although she was shattered, still had control over the pulses she gave off, and she used those pulses to do something to him. He went out of control, sucked all the air out of our lungs and we passed out. Tornado and his family were already long gone by the time we woke up, but Kaldur had gotten up first and managed to get the helmet off you."

"I do not require oxygen as much as...others." The Atlantean explained as he touched his neck self-consciously.

Wally, who had been staring at the helmet the whole time, was suddenly inches away from my face. "How could you have been so _stupid_? If Red T hadn't shown up and gone all evil-robot on us you would have been trapped in there! The energy from this thing would have permanently rewritten your brain beta waves; you probably would have spent your entire life as Dr. Fate, and then what? I'd like to see how we were gonna explain _that_ to Green Arrow."

Anger bubbled in my throat. "Oh yeah? Well, whose brilliant idea was it to keep an extremely dangerous magical weapon as a souvenir after he promised its spirit that he'd find a new host for it? Not mine! If anything, it was _your _fault-"

"Hey! Quit it!" Robin interposed. "What we have to focus on is _today_; we can worry about the mistakes we made later. Right now; our babysitter's been hijacked, our headquarters destroyed, and, unless they were after Tornado the whole time, we have no idea who or what those robots wanted. You two lovebirds can fight later."

"_Lovebirds_?" Wally and I said simultaneously.

"What I do not understand is what to do with the helmet." Kaldur stared thoughtfully at the golden object, strategically interrupting us. "It is too dangerous to use now if the – owner – has become aggressive."

"We destroy it." Batman, who had been quietly watching the entire ordeal, growled. "I'll take care of the helmet. For now, Captain Marvel will be your supervisor. Since the showers are most likely shattered to the point of _oblivion_," he narrowed his eyes at a certain bird, "and zero privacy, I suggest you all go home, take care of yourselves.

"We'll figure this out tomorrow."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Well, it's been an epic time writing this, I'll tell you, BUT NOW IT IS THE END!**

**Yes, this is the last chapter of **_**Another Way **_**(sob)****BUT…**

**Since this is the very first story on FF that I have ever finished, I am going to do two things I don't usually do…**

**If I get more than five requests for a sequel, I will write one. (I've already got an idea…)**

**SPOILERS! That's right! At the end of this chapter, there will be hints of what is coming up in Running Away! (plus a sneak peek at a new fanfic for Robin)**

**I was mainly listening to a half-cargo of Epic Mickey tracks while writing this fic, so I quoted a beautiful paragraph from it. (PLEASE LISTEN TO EPIC MICKEY – AN EPIC FINALE WHILE READING!)**

**And off we go!**

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><p>Another Way<p>

Chapter Seven

I splashed the cool water on my face, letting the drops trickle down my neck before catching them with a fluffy towel. I had changed into my pajamas, a white tank top with purple sweatpants. I walked back to my room, sighing as I fell on the bed, my feet dangling off the edge.

I was tired; today had probably been the most stressful day of my life. I picked up my small beside mirror, looking up at my reflection, remembering something.

_See, that's __the funny thing about mirrors; our reflections help us to reflect: In the struggles we have faced or avoided..._

Could there have been another way out of the situation? Could I have avoided being trapped in the helmet in the first place? There _was_ an arrow right next to it that I could've used…

_how well we manage time..._

What if Robin hadn't been there with me? What if I had had to face the Reds alone? I would have spent the entire ten minutes in sheer panic instead of helping my Team. Or worse, what if, even after putting on the helmet, I'd been too late?

_enemies defeated or redeemed..._

Nabu was gone. At one point he was probably one of the powerhouses of Justice Society, but now, because of me, he was just another enemy that we defeated; a hero that was forever _lost_.

_the ways in which we treat others…_

Did I have to be so snappish to people? Especially to my family, my Team?

_And perhaps, the most important, the friendships we have nurtured or neglected…_

Why had Wally been the first to pop in my mind when I thought everyone was going to die?

My face felt wet, despite having just dried it off with a towel. I sighed again, only this time my sigh was choked and watery.

My eyes snapped open wider; another solution popped into my mind.

Why couldn't I have shot Wally's souvenir arrow at the main generator? Its tip was metal; it would have conducted and put the Reds in a coma.

I couldn't help it; I broke out into a huge grin.

There's always another way.

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><p><strong>It's over! <strong>

**Wow. This was fun to work on. ****So many thanks to all my wonderful reviewers (I love you guys!) and here are the clues and peeks!**

**Running Away:**

Here is your clue:

Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls – Vietnam (I watched this ep and got sooooo many ideas…)

Here is your peek:

"Artemis? Artemis, wake up!" Wally could feel the terror coursing through his veins. She'd just fallen asleep, quite literally, on her feet. One minute she'd been talking to him, the next…

Something wasn't right, and this extended beyond her injured leg. Her skin felt so cold…

"Artemis, _please wake up_!"

**Time and Fear:**

Here is your clue:

Two very psychotic Batman villains. (You should be able to figure it out from the title!)

Here is your peek:

"What do all people fear the most, little bird?" The first dark figure, who slouched, cackled.

Robin recognized the voice, and his eyes widened. _Oh no…_

"Time. Time is what they will always fear." The second figure responded, who stood, unlike the first figure, as straight as a clock hand.

Robin swallowed until his mouth was dry. He knew both of those voices too well, and if he was right…

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_**Fin**_


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